House Rules
Gameplay *Rule 0 - I am free to change anything from any published source that suits the needs of the story. This includes but not limited to the core rules, supplements, campaign settings, novels and the internet. *DM Fiat - This is sort of an addendum to DM Rule 0. I may at any time "cheat" the rules of the game in order to progress the plot or make some other planned circumstance come about. *The Fun Combat Rule - Combat should be fun. It's boring to sit back and say "I roll a 17. Do I hit? Alright... 4 damage" over and over again. Taking the initiative to spice things up is encouraged and may be rewarded. In a situation where you describe your action in a cool way or do something especially interesting, you may receive a temporary action point. *Bonus XP - Roleplaying is just as important as fighting. We're telling an interactive story here, so roleplaying in and out of combat, as well as on the Forum will result in Bonus XP. Other bonus XP will be given out on an individual basis for anything that player did to help make the session better. This might include exceptional roleplaying, coming up with a great idea to solve a riddle or puzzle. *Mental Challenges - Combat and Traps are not the only way the PCs are challenged. You will often find yourselves faced with mysteries, puzzles and riddles which your PCs will have to bypass in order to progress down a particular plot line. *Familiarirty - I expect everyone involved to be familiar with the game. You should have strong familiarity with the SRD and know exactly what your character can do. *Two Hats - I subscribe to the 2-Hats Theory of DMing. When I'm planning the game, I'm absolutely trying to set up a, while not necessarily fair, plausible situation that does not screw the players for entering it. When I'm running the NPCs, though, I will be doing my absolute best to play them as they are. That means your enemies will be out for blood, and I will not be afraid to take it. I won't mock you, I won't rub it in, I won't laugh (because I'm not a bad person). In fact, I'll be sympathetic, and offer consolation. That doesn't change that your PC will be dead. General Rules-Game Information *1.In general, most of the game information is secret during a game. As a DM I won't say 'the guard has an AC of 12, 8 hit points, and likes apple pie'. As a player, you won't know any of the game information, and as DM I won't tell you, so don't ask. *2.In general, most information in the game is secret during a game. As a player you can only figure out things by the description given. As a DM I won't say 'The goblin hits you with the dart of Blackfeather poison', but more 'the short, ugly humanoid throws a dart at you. The black oil on the dart causes your skin to burn.' *3.In general, most game effects are secret during a game. As a DM I won't tell you why something worked or did not work. As a player you have to figure thoes things out, in the game. For example, if you cast charm person on a black skinned guy and it does not work, I will not tell you his race and type. *4.In general, most game information about other players is secret during a game. Players are free to share whatever they want with each other. As DM though, I won't let you read another players character sheet. You are free to learn about another player's character in the game, through use of skill, magic, or whatever. *5.In general, most information stays secret even after a game. At least a couple weeks need to pass so the information is no longer current. General Rule-Questions 1.Should you have a question about the game or anything in or about the game, it should not be asked in the game itself. I'm online at least a little bit everyday, so feel free to message, text, e-mail, chat or otherwise communicate any time with questions. General Rule-Adjudicating 1.During a game, the DM's word is the final say. As a player don't bring the game to a halt to question a situation. If you feel something is wrong, bring it up after the game. Keep in mind the Game Information rules and remember that as a player you don't know everything about the game world. General Rules-Contributing *1.Everyone is responsible for contributing to the game, keeping things moving and having fun. So try to avoid doing other things while gaming. Pay attention and game. *2.It's best to avoid anti-social characters. It's no fun if your character is a quiet type, so you sit there and ignore the DM and the other players for two hours. What is the point of playing the game, if you don't play the game? *3.It's best to over dramatize all of your characters actions. Avoid one or two word responses. Don't say 'I attack', it's better to say 'I swing my sword at the goblin in the red cloak'. This lets everyone in the game keep track of what is going on. *4.As a player you are free to make-up stuff and add it to the world, with DM approval. Blatant attempts at getting something for nothing will not be allowed, like my dad was a king and left me a billion gold in his will. Once something is created, it is under the total control of the DM. *5.A player is free to make up songs, stories, legends, rumors, talltales, sayings, poems and other such works of in game fiction, without DM approval. Note that all such items are not officially part of the game, though the DM may add them, in part or in whole. General Rule-The Group *1.By joining the game, you agree to play in a group. This means, in general, you must stay with the group. Do not try to run off on some personal side solo quest during a group game. I'm more then open to run a solo game at any other time during the week. Character Creation *1.I'm fine with anything in a Wizards book. Some third party stuff is OK, some is not, going case-by-case. *2.Roll4d6 drop lowest roll, assign them where you want *3.I like a general world setting. So you should avoid things like the 'Krynn moon wizards' *4.No home brew stuff or house rules from other games. Some other DM out there might have let you 'hold the charge' of a shocking grasp and do additional damage, but that is not a rule here. *5.Some Prestige Classes require you to join a group, some do not. Note that if you join a group, you will start the game as a low ranking member of that group. Any group advancement must be role played out. Races *Dragonwrought Kobolds don't qualify for epic feats. Dragonwrought Kobolds take aging penalties as normal. *All Dragonborn must be humanoid. While it may not explicitly say only humanoids can become Dragonborn in the rules text for the applying the Dragonborn template, there are numerous references in the text that say exactly that. Classes Feats, abilities, and other benefits granted by spells or items may not be used to fulfill any qualification requirement. Clerics Clerics are always proficient in the favored weapon of their deity, even if martial or exotic. Temples train their priests in the use of their deity's favored weapon. Factotum The Factotum's abilities are limited to once per round. Skills *1.Role-playing can add a bonus to a skill check. This mostly effects social skill checks vs others, but it can effect other skills. The bonus can be from +1 to +5. If you take the minute to role play the skill, you can get the bonus, you you don't wish to, you will just get a normal skill check. In general, you want to spice up what your doing to get a positive reaction. Example-Ray wants to use the skill Gather Information to find a rouge guild in an unknown city. By saying 'I go around to dark and shady places and ask about rouge guilds', would get like a +1 or +2. By saying 'I look around the marketplace and look for any rouges committing crimes and carefully approach them and in a round about way ask about a guild, would get a +3 or +4. To get a +5 you'd have to use Game Information, 'I got to the Dark Dagger where I know rouges like to drink and ask anyone I see there with a badge of a black rat. *Craft skills are trained only. *Intimidate-One can use Strength instead of Charisma as the modifying characteristic to Intimidate rolls, if there is a plausible threat of physical violence and some means of displaying that strength (eg smashing a door down, hurling a table out of the way, brandishing a massive axe). To Demoralise an opponent is a Move-Equivalent action if you are already Threatening that opponent (i.e., he is within the reach of your attack). Otherwise it's a Standard action. *Tumble-Instead of DC 15 to tumble past an opponent without suffering AoO, make an opposed roll vs the opponent's normal attack roll. This does not resolve the attack; it merely checks to see if the tumble is successful. Instead of DC 25 to tumble through an enemy's space without suffering an AoO, make an opposed roll vs the opponent's normal attack roll + 10. The Mobility feat adds a +4 bonus to Tumble when avoiding AoOs. Knowledge Skills *1.In general, don't ask witch Knowledge skill to use. That knowledge alone is knowledge your character would not have. For example, if your told to make a knowledge the planes roll, you would know the creature is from another plane. You need to figure out witch knowledge skill to use on your own. *2.A successful knowledge skill check does not give you a massive encyclopedic amount of information about a topic. In general, you just get a bit of random remembered information. If you would like more detailed, specific information about a topic, the best way to do that is to ask a question when you make your knowledge check to narrow it down. Feats Feats are gained at all odd-numbered levels. *Combat Reflexes:does not allow more than 1 AoO per round against the same opponent. *Dodge:grants a flat +1 dodge bonus to AC *Mindsight: Immunity to telepathy or divinations blocks mindsight. Undead can not be detected by mindsight. *Mobility: In addition to what's in the PHB, Mobility adds a +4 bonus to Tumble when avoiding AoOs. *Quickened spells are cast as swift actions, not free actions *Arcane Thesis: applies once per spell, not once per metamagic per spell. *Invisible Spell:You can modify any spell you cast so that it carries no visual manifestation and has no obvious connection to its caster, and no noticeable effects that are not integral to its function.. Only Effect or Area spells that have durations of one round or less can be effected by this feat. No Conjuration (summoning), Conjuration (calling) or Conjuration (creation), can be effected by this feat. A spell modified using the Invisible Spell feat uses a spell slot of two levels higher than the spell’s actual level. *Mortalbane does not allow stacking uses. *Greenbound Summoning adds two to the spell level. *(Rewrite)Favored in Guild General You are an active and valued member in your organization. Prerequisites: Membership in a guild (or other formal organization), be recognized as a member in good standing within the guild. Benefit: As an active and necessary member of your guild, select one of your guild's associated skills. As long as you remain a member of that guild, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all checks made with that skill. As additional benefit, you also gain an ability related to your specific guild. You must still pay monthly dues to remain a member in good standing; however, you may be entitled to a discount. Normal: To receive general benefits from your guild, you must pay your full monthly dues. You do not gain any guild fringe benefits. (Note that this means exact benefit is dependent on the guild rather than the guild type of the standard feat.) Magic *All spells with the (Healing) descriptor, including Heal, all Cure spells, Raise Dead, etc, are now back in the Necromancy School, as they were in earlier editions. *Negative energy harms the living and heals the undead, while positive energy heals the living and harms undead. Note that pure energy is also damagerious to use as too much energy (negative for undead, positive for the living) is also harmful. * Spells & items that create or morph extradimensional spaces, manipulate time, or involve teleportation risk creating planar breaches each time they are cast/used. (See Planar Handbook pages 151-153, DMG 147-151 & 168, Manual of the Planes 7-14). The caster/ user must make a Concentration check modified by Charisma. DC for the check = the minimum caster level of the spell or item being cast/ created. Success: spell/item functions normally Failure by 1-4 pts.: spell or item fails or does not function for 1d4-1 rounds Failure by 5-9 pts.: creates minor breach (minimum caster level 5th) Failure by 10-14 pts.: creates severe breach (min. caster level 9th) Failure by 15+ pts.: creates complete breach (min. caster level 13th) This favors casters as the ones who will need to lug around the bags of holding, portable holes, and the like. This also adds a small additional deterrence to teleporting willy-nilly around the world/ cosmos. *Illusion Spells: Detect magic does not automatically reveal illusion auras of spells higher level than it; instead, it grants a saving throw with a +4 bonus to disbelieve the illusion. Under no circumstances does detect magic reveal a magical aura on an object that the caster cannot see due to invisibility or similar spells, or the aura of the invisibility spell itself. In order to determine the location of a magical aura, it must remain still for three full rounds of concentration; any movement of 5 feet or more spoils the attempt and requires the caster to begin concentrating once again. *Teleportation:Teleportation spells of 4th level or lower (which includes dimension door) can’t transport you further than you can see. The range of these abilities is reduced to line of sight. You can’t use them to transport onto the other side of a closed door, or if you’re blinded, or if it’s too dark to see. You can use them to transport through a window (as you can see what’s on the other side). Spells of levels 5 to 7 allow you to teleport sight unseen Spells Astral Projection: Items duplicated via this spell still drain charges from the original item. Likewise, spell slots used, XP used, etc, all transfer back to the orginal body and its items. If your projection dies, you die. Your projection's equipment cannot be used by others, and vanishes 1 round after being separated from you. Divine Power: War Domain Only. Divination/Contact Other Plane. Currently: No limits on times cast means extremely paranoid spellcasters can find out exactly what's coming at them at all times and prepare accordingly. Change to: Contacting divine or extraplanar beings in this manner can be accomplished once every 30 days with no penalty. More often than that carries an amount of risk. Each contact thereafter carries a cumulative 5% risk of angering the being and incurring the Int/Cha decrease (or Wis decrease if the divine version is cast). Cumulative 5% chance of being driven insane, being given a Geas, the being sends an Aleax after you, similar effects Entangle: Duration is two rounds per level, max 10. Evard's Black Tentacles:Allow a REF. save and Escape Artist skill check Forcecage: Reflex Neg. Mage Armor is an Abjuration(Force) spell. Mind Blank:Seeing through a transmutation effect such as Polymorph requires divining information not available to the normal senses, since with a transmutation the subject is physically changed, not merely covered by an illusion. Mind Blank blocks such divinations. Illusions such as Change Self and Invisibility work by placing a magically fabricated image over top of the subject. True Seeing sees through such magical fabrications. In this case, it is piercing a magical effect, not divining information directly. Mind Blank vs. True Seeing: Mind Blank will block True Seeing from detecing the true form of a polymorphed creature, but it will not keep True Seeing from piercing an Illusion such as Change Self or Invisibility. Mind Blank will also keep True Seeing from revealing the aura of a creature, if True Seeing is cast as a Divine Spell. Mind Blank vs. True Strike: Mind Blank has no effect. Mind Blank + Invisibility vs. See Invisibility: Mind Blank has no effect. Mind Blank + Displacement vs. True Seeing: Mind Blank has no effect. Mind Blank vs. Detect X: Mind Blank prevents the spell from divining information about the subject. Mind Blank is also effective against Detect Magic, even though strictly speaking Detect Magic is a Universal spell, not in the Divination school. Rope Trick: duration is 10 minutes/level. You can't sleep in a Rope Trick because you have to actually keep holding onto the rope after climbing up into the extradimensional space, which doesn't offer anything you can use as ground. The rope can't be pulled up. Web:Web: 20' cone starting from caster. Duration 1rd/level Blade Barrier: An opponent who makes a successful reflex save moves one square away of their choice. An opponent who cannot move, or has no open square to move to, cannot make a save vs. this spell. A rod of cancellation will take this spell down. Dimension Door: Willing allies who ready an action to attack just after the teleport attack as if coming out of invisibility. Divine Power: This spell is not available on the general level 4 cleric list; it is only a (war) domain spell. Find Traps: You grant yourself a temporary insight into the working of traps. The next time you make a Search check, you may attempt to locate traps as if you had the Trapfinding ability. You may not take ten on this check. After making a single Search check, the spell is discharged. Fire Shield: Creatures with natural attacks and reach are still affected. Flaming Sphere: An opponent who makes a successful reflex save against a flaming sphere (or similar spell) moves one square away. This still stops the sphere's movement. An opponent who cannot move, or has no open square to move to, cannot make a save vs. this spell. Freedom of Movement: This spell does not provide any benefit to grapple checks. Rather, it gives a +20 bonus to escape artist checks like a salve of slipperiness does. Note that grapples can be resisted with an escape artist check. Grease: (a) As per the balance skill, anyone standing or moving in a greased area is flat-footed if he has less than 5 ranks in balance. (b) A balance check must also be made for moving out of the greased area. Keep in mind though that failure does not necessarily mean staying in the greased area; it could also mean ending up prone in the next square out of the area if the victim so desires. Greater Arcane Sight: This spell shows every detail of every active spell. For example, it would reveal not only a resist energy spell but a resist cold 20 energy spell. Heal: This spell also removes all ability penalties. Limited Wish/Wish/Miracle: These spells can be used to duplicate spells needed for item creation and permanency (including permanency itself). Mordenkainen’s Sword: This spell works just like spiritual hammer in that switching to a different opponent is a move action and if not moved it can get iterative attacks. Project Image: Touch attacks delivered by this spell are rolled as ranged touch attacks, so dexterity is used. Resist Energy: This spell now works just like the special ability energy resistance; damage is resisted per round not per attack. Rightous Might: This spell is not available on the general level 5 cleric list; it is only a (strength) domain spell. Shapechange: (a) Forms with an ability usable a number of times per day are limited likewise per casting of the spell, even if the shape is returned to after assuming another. For instance, a leonal can heal up to its hit points per day with lay on hands. If the caster shapechanges into a leonal, uses up the healing, shapechanges into something else, then changes back to a leonal, the healing is still used up. If the spell is ended and cast again, the power is renewed. (b) The DM is urged to use common sense with this spell. For instance, a DM should give the same spell-casting failure chance for trying to cast while an iron golem as the iron body spell. Stinking Cloud: Poison immunity negates the effects of this spell. Summon Monster/Nature’s Ally: (a) Summoning uses the individualized variant rule. When creating the statistics for a summoned monster, the caster can change one feat the monster has (provided the monster’s feat choices are still legal). Any skill choices left vague should also be chosen ahead of time (such as with the avoral's knowledge or lillend perform skills). (b) Abilities used by a summoned creature that have limitations per day must be kept track of for all summonings that day. For instance, if a lillend is summoned in the morning and casts spells, when the lillend is summoned later that same day those spell slots are still used up. © Spells cast by a summoned creature DO have their durations continue beyond the end of the summoning spell. So a spellcaster can summon a lillend at the beginning of the day to cast undetectable alignment on a party member and it will last for the normal 24 hour duration. Time Stop: (a) Spells with the duration expiring in the last round of a time stop go off just after the time stop expires (so you can cast delayed blast fireball in the last round of the time stop with a delay of 1 round and it will explode and affect opponents). (b) Time stop cannot be cast during a time stop. Wall of Stone: When an opponent saves successfully to avoid entrapment, move him or her to the square of their choice just outside the wall. Equipment A masterwork item costs 10x the base cost of the item. If you want to try to craft a masterwork item, you still need materials of the highest grade. You pay 5x the base cost of the item and must make an appropriate skill check (and have the appropriate amount of time) to see if you can successfully create the item. The DC for this check is usually between 10 and 15 points higher than the craft check for the base item (usually putting it between 25 and 30. Players cannot take 10 or take 20 to automatically create masterwork items Magic Items *Nightsticks do not stack. *Eternal wands follow the rules as written(An eternal wand holds an arcane spell ... allows any character who can cast arcane spells to use). If it's not an arcane spell, it's not in an eternal wand. If you can't cast arcane spells, you can't activate the wand without UMD. Magic Items-Identification *1.When an item is found, it may or may not be magical. Players do not automatically know what is a magic item and what is a mundane item. Skills, abilities and magic need to be used to discover if an item is magical. *2.Players do not automatically know the powers of a magic item. Skills, abilities and magic needs to be used to discover a magic item's powers. Magic Items-Trade Magical items are for sale and can be bought worldwide, more or less. Though not every item can be found everywhere. *1.First keep in mind the community wealth. A small town will not have a magic shop with half a million gold coins worth of magic items. *2.Evil magical items are not for sale in the open in most good or neutral places. In general evil items can only be found in evil places. *3.Some magic items are rare, illegal or restricted. At the top of the list are combat items. Magic shops do not have a 'destroy this town' shelf. Also on the list are shady items that can be used by people in the wrong ways to cause trouble. This includes items that use illusion or charm magic. *4.Some magic is common and well used. Magic that can help people in their day-to-day life is easy to find. Magic items that help skills and protective items are two good examples. *5.Some magic items can only be found in special locations. Elven magic items are normally found with elves, for example. Injury and Death *In order to return to life after being dead, a living creature must roll a Resurrection Survival Check. Should they fail, they are Dead Forever. This is a base DC 10 with no modifiers. Rest *1.A character may only rest once every ten hours or so and may only sleep once every 12-16 hours. You have to be tired to rest or sleep. You can not, for example, attack a dragon for ten minutes and wound it, then retreat and rest eight hours, attack the dragon again for ten minutes, retreat and rest and attack again. *2.Time flows when you rest. The whole world does not stop and freeze in place while the characters rest. Combat *1.Combat takes a while in real time, but goes by fast in game time. Keep in mind that a combat round is only six seconds. You can only take quick actions in combat, so you can't read a book, for example. Anything that would take even a minute is too long when the action takes place in six second bits. *2.Initiative is rolled once at the start of a combat encounter. *3.Shield bonuses are added to touch AC. Experience *1.You get experience for everything you do in the game, not just killing. *2.It is possible for members of a group to get different amounts of experience. Everyone will get the same group XP, but individual XP will not always be the same. *3.Some common individual rewards: -A clever idea:50-100 XP -Role plays the character well:100-200 -Encourages others to participate:100-200 -Use of a spell, ability or power to further ethos:10-1000 Conditions The fatigued condition imposes a -2 penalty to caster level and a -1 penalty to spell save DCs. The exhausted condition imposes a -6 penalty to caster level, and a -3 penalty to spell save DCs. The caster level penalties cannot reduce a character's caster level below one-half its normal state. Bonuses *Sacred and profane bonuses don't stack. Saves You may not order a creature or player to fail a save in any fashion. Play By Post Category:Rules